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Sprint intentionally blocking new LTE devices from accessing live LTE sites


S4GRU

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by Robert Herron
Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
Monday, April 23, 2012 - 6:14 PM MDT

 

Sprint 4G Rollout Updates is keeping track of all the live LTE sites in the country. And as of last Friday, there are now approximately 200 LTE sites that are "On-Air." S4GRU's AJ Shepherd even has verified some of these LTE sites are live using his spectrum analyzer. Sprint is indeed broadcasting LTE on PCS G-Block, just as we are indicating.

S4GRU.com is now able to confirm why new Sprint LTE device holders are unable to connect to live LTE sites in Waco, Dallas/Ft.Worth, Atlanta, Athens, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio. Sprint is intentionally blocking LTE access at this time. The reasons why they are doing this aren't totally clear.

 

LTE Testing mode is not for you, folks

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Sprint is keeping sites that are on the air, but identified as "testing" from being discoverable by Sprint LTE devices. As they deem each site is ready to carry commercial traffic, they will change the LTE site from testing mode to commercial mode. At that time, they will become discoverable to LTE device holders.

Sprint recently considered two different ways to block their customers from accessing the LTE network. Either by creating a special PLMN ID, or by modifying the SIB 1 message to notify the LTE device the "Cell is Reserved for Operator Use." Using the PLMN method was figured to be too problematic, because the network only is capable of two PLMN ID's currently, which would limit other PLMN ID uses in the future. So Sprint is blocking your LTE devices from cruising the 4G LTE network by modifying the SIB 1 message being broadcast from the LTE site to "Reserved." When your device gets that message, it will not try to authenticate with the network. And you are none the wiser that your device is getting a 4G LTE signal that it is not allowed to use. When Sprint is ready to allow a LTE site to be discoverable, they will remove the reserved classification from the SIB 1 message...and voila!

 

Why???

I guess the big question in all this is...WHY? Why not make these LTE sites discoverable and usable for Sprint customers with LTE devices right now? I cannot tell you with certainty. In some instances, it could be backhaul related. In some instances, it could be related to the 4G LTE core. In some instances, it could be related to eHRPD integration. It may be that the customer experience is not where they think you will tolerate. I have seen errant comments regarding all of these issues. But none being specifically outed as the culprit in not allowing LTE discoverability now.

However, one thing that is known, our source says that their Strategic Marketing and Network Management are working together now to establish the criteria for when a site is eligible to be discoverable. When that criteria is established here in the very near future, and a site meets the agreed to criteria, the sites will become live. Until then, this is the steadfast rule for Sprint LTE site availability, "Site will remain hidden from customer use until directed by business teams to be made commercially available."

There are very widely scattered reports that a site here or a site there has active LTE available to customers. Including one report this weekend in Kansas City. These may be valid. It's possible that some sites are incorrectly configured and not blocking traffic as they should. Or, it's possible these few select sites are ready to go and are now "discoverable." Please make sure you notify S4GRU and provide the screen shots should you get access to a Sprint LTE site.

 

 

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Live LTE sites as of Friday, April 20, 2012. Almost 200 sites. Sprint is not allowing access at this time. Click on map to enlarge.

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I am at Marsh Ln and Beltline Road.

 

There is a site on E Belt Line on the roof (of what appears to be a bank), across from the IHOP. It is scheduled to start work in June. 4G LTE should be live by Mid July at this site.

 

There is a site to the north near Keller Springs and Marsh that where the 4G LTE is schedule to be live in Mid June. And the site to the south near Marsh and Green Valley will not have 4G LTE until Mid September.

 

However, I am not recommending anyone to plan on using the LTE network for the home usage. I believe Sprint is going to crack down on tethering in the near future on the LTE network. They will not have the capacity on it to be a home ISP for folks. If you are not a heavy user (like less than 20GB), then you will likely slide under the radar. But the days of 100GB+ tethering will have to come to an end.

 

There is no harm in trying. I'm just trying to prepare folks for the day, though. I don't know if they will crack down now on tethering as LTE comes online, or if they are going to wait and see how it shakes out down the road, but it is coming. Unlimited data is going to be a smart phone feature only.

 

Robert

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Thank you for the information it helped tremendously. I am not a heavy user at all. I just mainly use it to do schoolwork and for the wife to update facebook. I bet we do not use 2GB a month at all. But, with the 3G speed being so terribly bad, I have to have 4G (on my EVO) turned on to be able to do much just on the phone period. I know it will get better, lol...

 

Again, thank you.

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Does not matter for me because I reside in Little Rock, Arkansas and I have NO Sprint 4G at all. This is sad because LittleRock should have had 4G from June 2010 and it never happened. Sprint has the iPhone though but limited 4G. Maybe that iswhy AT&T got the iPhone first?

 

Sprint never announced Little Rock would receive 4G WiMax deployment. Not in June 2010, not ever. If you were told that at a Sprint store, you were given inaccurate information. Sprint never planned to take 4G WiMax nationwide on every site. However, Sprint is planning to take LTE nationwide, including Little Rock.

 

Robert

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There is a site on E Belt Line on the roof (of what appears to be a bank), across from the IHOP. It is scheduled to start work in June. 4G LTE should be live by Mid July at this site.There is a site to the north near Keller Springs and Marsh that where the 4G LTE is schedule to be live in Mid June.

 

Fantastic information. I live at Marsh and Keller Springs. The towers are easily visible from Keller Springs. Probably explains why WiMAX is actually usable from my place in doors here.

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I am in Houston Texas and was just wondering if there was any info on a start date for sprints 4g LTE service. i have gotten the lte service for about a week near school but as of last week, im not able to do it anymore. Im assuming they were testing the towers or somthing as im not able to connect to it anymore.

 

Any help will be greatly appriciated.

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I am in Houston Texas and was just wondering if there was any info on a start date for sprints 4g LTE service. i have gotten the lte service for about a week near school but as of last week, im not able to do it anymore. Im assuming they were testing the towers or somthing as im not able to connect to it anymore.Any help will be greatly appriciated.

 

We are all waiting for Sprint to stop blocking access to live LTE sites. We have no more information at this time.

 

Robert

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We are all waiting for Sprint to stop blocking access to live LTE sites. We have no more information at this time.Robert

 

Thank you for the quick reply.

I hope its soon because i have horrible 3g service in my area and have had a sprint tech provison my phone over the phone and still doing the same thing.

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Any idea when Madison, Wi will get 4G LTE? Zip codes, 53703, 53704, 53713, 53714, 53719, 53562. I hear through the grape vine, Charter communications is already laying the fiber lines.

Any info would be great, as I have pandora and Mlb tv apps on my EVO 4G and am sick of waiting five minutes for my next song to load.

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Any idea when Madison, Wi will get 4G LTE? Zip codes, 53703, 53704, 53713, 53714, 53719, 53562. I hear through the grape vine, Charter communications is already laying the fiber lines.Any info would be great, as I have pandora and Mlb tv apps on my EVO 4G and am sick of waiting five minutes for my next song to load.

 

Preliminary backhaul work is underway in the Milwaukee market. However, other than backhaul work has started we have nothing more to offer at this time that we posted in this article: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-153-are-milwaukee-and-cleveland-making-a-run-on-the-sprint-network-visionlte-deployment-schedule/

 

Robert

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You would think Madison would be moving forward with lte build, considering we're sandwiched between Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. but yet, what would I know. Thanks for the info.

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You would think Madison would be moving forward with lte build, considering we're sandwiched between Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. but yet, what would I know. Thanks for the info.

 

Madison is in the Sprint Milwaukee market. It will get LTE deployment at roughly the same time as Milwaukee.

 

Robert

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Wow your super fast with the replies. From one phone geek to another thank you. What is the cost for membership on this site?

 

My speed on replies is highly variable. You just are catching me at a good time. :)

 

Any donation to our PayPal account upgrades you to the Sponsor level. You get access to all the Sponsor areas of the site and help pay our costs to keep us online. Most donate $20-$25. However, if you cannot afford that much, we will still upgrade you.

 

There is also a Premier Sponsor level which gets you access to NV schedules for the markets in the first two rounds. That requires a minimum $100 donation, but you get to keep Premier Status indefinitely. Sponsor status is only good for 6 months without another donation.

 

Thank you for considering to sponsor S4GRU. We are completely member supported.

 

Robert

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